No Goa zone

A HOLIDAYMAKER returned from an exotic trip to India to find the locks to his Miles Platting council flat changed.

MICHAEL Fleck came back from a dream holiday to Goa to find the council had changed the locks on his house.

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A HOLIDAYMAKER returned from an exotic trip to India to find the locks to his Miles Platting council flat changed.

Michael Fleck, 47, flew back from a three-week break in Goa to discover housing officers had locked him out of his Millhead Avenue home.

And the furious HGV driver, who has been a council tenant for 15 years, claims housing officers then said it was up to him to let them know if he left the country.

Mr Fleck flew out to the South Indian holiday resort on 12 January and claims he has no idea why the Council replaced his four front door locks.

He said: "They had absolutely no right and I think it is scandalous what they have done.

"They said they were informed I did not live there anymore but my rent is up to date and I have had no problems."

A letter giving Mr Fleck seven days to contact Manchester Housing department was sent on 24 January - but the haulage worker was out of the country until 3 February.

He only discovered what had happened when he got a text message from his brother at the airport.

He said: "I had to get a taxi so I could make it to the housing office for 4.45pm or I could have been locked out all weekend. I did not get the letter as I was on holiday but I could have been in hospital or anything."

Manchester City Council's assistant director of housing, Ray Smith, said: "It is certainly not the policy of Manchester Housing to change the locks on tenants homes if they go on holiday. The locks on Mr Fleck's home were changed under very special circumstances.

"Housing officers had tried on several occasions to make contact with Mr Fleck to serve an injunction on him following complaints.

"When those officers failed to get a response from Mr Fleck, it was assumed he had abandoned the property because of the serious nature of the alleged incident.

"He was subsequently served with a seven day notice which required him to contact the department by a given date, failing which a lock change would be carried out.